Apparatus for distilling hydrocarbon oil.



G. W; TURNER.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROOARBON OIL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 21,1908.

' 1,@4 6,683. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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c. w. TURNER. APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROGARBON OIL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,1908.

' Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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CHARLES WORTH TURNER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARIBON OIL.

'This invention relates to apparatus for distilling hydrocarbon oil and obta ning products of various gravities.

The object of my invention is to provide for economically and rapidly distilling hydrocarbon oil, such as petroleum or a distillate therefrom, by subjecting it to heat and high pressure in combination with steam or superheated steam while circulating through heated coils, whereby partof the heavier hydrocarbons will be split or cracked to form lighter distillate liquid products.

\ One of the special objects of my invention is to provide improvements in tie apparatus. by means of which earthy or mineral matter and asphaltum, or other heavy carbonaceous material, may be separated from the petroleum while it is being heated and before being fed into the vaporizing coils;

also for separating asphaltum, or other dense carbonaceous material, during various stages of the distilling operation.

The present invention embraces certain improvements in the apparatus covered by Patent No. 7 26,379, granted to me April 28,

1903, whereby petroleum of low gravity may be successfully subjected to the distilling, decomposing and recomposing operations without danger of the coils and connecting p'pes becoming clogged or choked with carbonaceous deposits.

The matter constituting my invention will be' defined in the claims.

I will now describe my improved apparatus by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevatlon, with parts in section, of the generating or distilling part of the apparatus. Fig. 2 repre- Sents an elevation, with parts in section, of the condensingand separating tanks for obtaining various liquid products of difierentspecific gravities.

The distilling or generating part of the apparatus comprises two columns of coils 1 and 2 composed of diflerent sections of coils, suitably disposed separating drums of comparatively large diameter and the necessary con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Application filed July 21, 1908. Serial No. 444,674.

nectingpipes for effectively and rapidly carrying out the process of.distilling crude petroleum or other hydrocarbon of low gravity.

In the column 1 the different sections of coils are superimposed one above another within a heat retalning jacket 8. The steam generating and superheating coil 3 is preferably placed at the top of the casing where the temperature is usually the highest, and

the oil vaporizing coil 5 1s located immediately below the same so that the steam and oil vapor may be readily brought together in a mixing pipe. Between the outer oil feed tank and the coil 5 I have found it ad- 7 vantageous to interpose an oil heating and separating drum 4 which preferably extends from the base of the column up through all of the coils to near the top of-the jacket 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The coils are preferably 7 5 constructed of pipe having extra thick and strong walls, adapted to stand pressure of several hundred pounds to the square inch. In the apparatus which I have in use the pipe is two inches in diameter, while the heating and separating drum 4 is about five inches in diameter .and may be of a larger diameter, up to ten inches or more. This heating and separating drum 4 serves the important purpose of preliminarily 5 heating the crude oil and at the same time permitting the contained mineral matter and asphaltum. or other heavy carbonaceous material;- to settle 1nto the lower and cooler end from which, at suitable intervals, such 9 heavy matter is drawn off through valve 4 and discharged through pipe 31 into a tank 32. Below the oil vaporizing coil 5 is located a coil 6 for mixed steam and oil vapor and at the base of the column is located a combining and superheating coil '7. In this coil 7 the steam and oil vapors are highly superheated and part 'of the steam is decomposed by the oxygen combining with carbon to form carbon monoxid, while hydrogen is liberated. This nascent hydrogen immediately combines with a portion of the hydl 0- carbon present to form light-er hydrocarbons. I therefore obtain an increased yield of lighterv hydrocarbon oils from crude pe- 1 troleum- I The supply tanks for water and oil under pressure and the various feed and connecting pipes are constructed and arranged as follows :The water supply tank 9 and two oil supply tanks 17 are in practice located on a suitable foundation and are connected at their lower end with'a water force rpum' 33 having a pipe 34 andbranc'hes, rovide with valves 35, 36 and 37,.cnnect1ng'with each tank. The water supply being shut off from the oil t-anksby closing valves 36 and 37, both .of the tanks -17 may-*b'e first filled with oil, such as crude petroleum, in

any desired manner, and when it is desired to force oil, into the vaporizing coil, water will be admitted under pressure into one of the tanksby opening valve 36, thereby forcing oil out through the upper feed pipe 18 to the coil. The water feed p-i with-the top of tank 9 and with the base of 10 connects the coil 3. This. pipe is provided with the stop valves 11 and 12, an intermediate checkvalve 13 and a test cock 14. Froni'the top of coil 3 a steam discharge pipe '15 extends out through the jacket 8 and downward to a mixing pipe 16, with-which also connects the oil vapor pipe 27. In order to determine approximately the quantity of wa'tersupplied through the pipe 10, valve. 12 is closed, the test cock 14 fully opened. and the valve 11. partly opened and adjusted so that the desired flow will be discharged through the test cock; this having been ascertained by observation the test cock 14 is closed and valve 12 opened, leaving valve 11 at the the intermediate check-valve 24 and atestg cock-25; The flow of oil through pipe 21 is regulated by means of test-cock 25 and adjustment of valve 22 as above described with reference to the test cockand valve on the water pipe 10. With the upper end qof the heating and separating drum 4 connedts the oil discharge pipe 26 which extends downward and connects with the base of'the' oil vaporizing coil 5'. An oil-vapor discharge pipe 27,}leads from the top of coil 5 and connects through a T-fit-ting with the mixing pipe 16 which leads-into coil 6 for'mixed steam. and oil vapor. At the base of coil 6 a discharge pipe 28 connects with a separating drum 29- which is provided at its base with a discharge pipe, having a valve'30,

opening into the main discharge pipe-31 connecting with the receiving tank 32. Any

tarry or other thick carbonaceous matter w h ich mayform in coils 6 will be blowninto the separating drum 29 and. after a sufiicient quantity of heavy hydrocarbon ac- 'cumulates' m such drum. it may bew discharged by opening valve 30. Pipe 38 coneach witha' va ve 19- I 61. 'nects centrally with the top of tank 55 and near the topfof drum 29 'and conducts mixedz-steam and oil-.vapor into the top of the combining and superheating coil 7 from' zine-passer which leads the outlet pipe ,39, connecting with pipe 40 which connects with the seperating drum 43 and'is also provided with a burner 41 which may be prbvidedv with-a valve. .A pipe and .valve 42 may connect-with the burner for supplying fuel gas when desired. In practice, however, I burn at the burner 41 fpart;of the gaseous rom the combining mixture which passes and superheating coil 7. The main volume of vapor or gas willpass from coil 7 into the separating drum 43. The heavier hydrocarbon will be separated in drum 43 and may be discharged therefrom by opening valve 44.: A vapor-gas outlet pipe 45 connects with the top of drum 43- and with Y I the top of the combining and decomposing coil 46 in the column 2, where decomposition and recomposition of hydrocarbons are effected. The coil 46 may be composedof two sections having an outside connection as shown and from the base of the'lower" section a pipe 47 connects with a separating.

drum 48, having at the bottom an outlet pipe and .valve 49 which connects with the drain pipei3l leading to tank 32. A vaporgas outlet pipe 50 leads to aburner'51 and thence passes up through the column of coils to the top of an upper sectionof coils 53 in which the operations of still further decomposing and recomposing hydrocarbons are effected. Fromthe base of this coil extends a vapor-gas out-let pipe 54 leading tothe first condenser tank 55. A pipe 52 may conductfuel gas to the burner 51.

The condenser tank 55'is provided at the bottom with a draw-off pipe and valve 56 leading to .a'cooling coil 57 located in the water tank 58. To the top of tank 55 a valved vapor pipe 59 extends downward andconnects with the succeeding condenser tank A. separate vapor outlet pipe 60 conextends downward below the middle P01? tion thereof for conducting off a different 7 density of'vapor from that which passes-'oif through pipe 59. In practice, I provide. a

series of condenser tanks and have herein shown such tanks61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 .and I may employ sixteen or more of such tanks in series forcondensing and separating hydrocarbon. distillates of different grav ties. 'Thesei tanks are connected to 'coolin coils like that shown at 57 in the water ta 58 and each'ofsaid coils is provided with a .draw-ofi pipe 85. The'tanks are connected in series with pipes and Valves 73, 74, 75, 76 and -77 and each tank has a separate vapor discharge pipe, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83', etc.

I preferably connect with the water and oil tanks 9 and 17, Fig.. 1 a pressure gage 86 and maintain in said a pressure of is also connected to the separating drum 29 a pressure gage 87 which will indicate the vapor pressure in the coils 6 and 7. This pressure is preferably about sixty pounds to the square inch. It will be readi y understood that with these high pressures and with a sufficiently high temperature which may be from 400 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, in the coils 6 and 7, the circulation of water, oil and combined vapors will be very rapid and that distillation will be efi'ected with corresponding rapidity. In the column 2 I preferably carry the temperature u to a degree between 1000 and 1200 or 1400' egrees F.

The apparatus having been constructed and connected substantially as above described and shown in the drawings and the tanks 9 and 17, respectively, filled with water and petroleum the operation ofdistilling and separating the oil-into products of different gravities may be conducted as follows: The columns of coils'may beprimarily heated by supplying fuel gas to the burners or burning any waste material saturated withoil'jat,- the base of the columns. A sufficient heat having been raised in the heat retaining jackets, the pump '33 will be started, thereby forcing water into the base of tank 9 .and one of the tanks 17, now by properly adjusting the valves in the supply pipes as previously described, water will be supplied under pressure to the steam generating coil 3 and oil will be supplied under pressure to the preheating and separating drum 4 and thence by pipe 26 to the oil vaporizing coil 5. As'soon as a sufficiently high degree of heat has been attained, superheated steam will pass by pipe 15 to the mixing pipe 16 and at the same time oil vapor will be passed by pipe 27 to said mixing pipe 16 and the mixture will be forced through-coil 6 where the steam and oil vapor will be more intimately mixed and heated and then discharged through pipe 28 into the separating drum 29. Here the heavier hydrocarbons, tarry matter and earthy material or other impurities will be arrested and settle to the bottom, while the lighter vapors willbe conducted by pipe 38 into the combining and superheating coil 7 in which will be produced vapor-gas. Th1s gas being combustlble, will be admitted to the burner 41 where it is ignited. The

flame and hot products pass up through the column of coils and thence down between? the coils and the heat retaining jacket 8,

from the lower end of which the spent products escape. Combustion of the vapor-gas being perfect within the heating jacket, no smoke or sooty matter passes out from the base of the heat retaining jacket. The heavy hydrocarbons containing paraifin, tarry matters and other impurities which may settle in the drum 4 and in drum 29 will be, at suitable intervals, drawn off, respectively through the valves 4 and 30 and conducted to the receiving tank 32. The vaporgas discharged from coil 7 through plpes 39 and 40 intothe separating drum 43 will also part with the tarry matterand other heavy impurities which will settle in said drum, and may be drawn off through pipe and valve 44 and conducted to the'tank 32. The vapor-gas passing oil from drum 43 will be conducted through the coils 46 and 53 where they are subjected to a high heat,

usually about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit,

thereby causing the heavier hydrocarbons to be split up or cracked into hydrocarbons of a higher specific gravity. The high heat in these coils may cause naphthalene to be formed and such product will be, to a great extent, separated in the drum 48. Paraffin andtarry matter may be also separated in the drum 48. By successively causing separation of heavy carbonaceous matter, in cluding paraffin and napthalene, a superior quality of lubricating oil will be collected in the first two or three condensation tanks of the series 55 to 66. tanks 63, 64 and 65, a high grade of illuminating oil or kerosene will be deposited. In the succeeding tanks of the series, which may be of any desired number, there will be separated various gravities of lighter oils and any desired number of these light oils such as benzine gasolene, etc, may be separately drawn ofliand stored. The process herein described is made the In the succeeding I subject of my co-pending application, Serial Number 727,925. 7 Having described. my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for distilling hydrocarbon oil, the combination with an oil vaporizing coil, of an upright heating and separating drum having at the lower end a dis-- charge pipe and valve for drawing offheavy matter, an oil feed pipe connectlng with the \drum near its lower end, means for forcing oil under pressure through said feed pipe, an outlet pipe connecting with the top of the drum and with saidvaporizing coil, and a vapor discharge pipeleadingfrom the coil, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for distilling hydro'carbonoil, the combination with an oil vaporizing coil, a steam generating coil, and a mixing coil for steam and oil vapor, of means for supplying oil and water, respectively to the oil vaporizing and'ste am generating coils, outlet pipes connecting said vaporizing and steam generatlng colls with the mixing coil, an upright separating drum having a discharge pipe and valve at ts lower end, and a pipe connecting the mixing coil with said drum, substantially as described. 1

rating drum having at the lower end a discharge pipe and valve for drawing off heavy matter, an oil feed pipe connecting with the drum, T a steam generating coil haying a" water feed pipe, means for forcing oil and water through said feed pipes, a mixing coil io'for steam and oil vapor,,pipes connecting said vaporizing co1l ;and the steam generat- 1 'ingcoil with said mixing coil, a second sep- 'arating drum having a discharge pipe and valve at its'lower end, and a pipe connecting Yrs mixing coil with the second separating 4. In apparatus fofdistilling hydrocarbon oil, the combination with a set of coils for combining and superheating vapor-gas r and aseparate -c'oi-l for further heating said vapor-gas and promoting the distilling operation, ofan intermediate separating drum in which heavy tarry matter is deposited,

whereby- .thefdistilling operation may be v made continuous, and means for heating the coils, substantially as'described. '5. In-app'aratusfor distilling hydrocar- 'bon oil, the combination with a decomposing I and-recqmposing coil and means for supplyin'git-withmixed oil and water vaporgas-, 1 of an outer s parating drum having masts idrawing olf deposits of carbonaceousmaterial, a condensation tank and a'pipe connection'from said drum to said tank, substantially as described.

6. In-apparatus for distilling hydrocarhon oil, the combination with separate vaporizing coils for oil and water and combining and superheating coils, of separating drums, a series o f con'densat1o n tanks con- 40 nected by'vapor'pipes, a'cooling coil m a water tank connected with the lower end of each tank ofthe series, substantially as'de v scribed.- v 7. In apparatus for distilling hydrocan bon oil, the combination with combining and superheating 'coils and separate coils for further combining and highly heating hydr arbon vapors, of an interposed separating drum of larger diameter than the coils, a draw-ofi' pipe for heavy products at the lower end of'sald drum, a discharge pipe at the top leading-into'the second set of coils, and an intermediate inlet pipe leading from the first set of-coils;substantially as described; n"

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence 'of-two witnesses. 4 CHARLES WORTH TURNERF' Witnesses:

J 0H1? A. SGH1LLING,

Wnmmn Wmums. 

